The myth about a cheap sign.
So you want a sign that has the pulling power of a black hole; it has to reach out and suck in everyone that comes within reading range. This sign needs to withstand the elements for months, even years. You want to be able to remove or install the sign at will, and want to be able to store it in a closet or a car trunk for easy transport. In fact, it needs to be collapsible - even foldable - because who has the time to neatly roll it around a storage core and tuck it safely in a protective carton? Further, you have a deadline for the delivery of the sign, but you have very little advertising budget to cover its expense. You want a banner!
Question: Is a banner a cheap sign? Answer: Not a good one! Why? Because it takes as much time, talent, facility and personnel commitment to create an effective banner sign as it does to create any other quality sign production. Good banners are also as expensive in material cost as most other producer-supplied sign components. The only adjustment that can be made when pricing a banner is in the material used and the media to decorate it. Time, talent and business commitment cannot be discounted! The current professional and public perception is that banners constitute a class of quick, easy, cheap signage.
The gimmick's gotta go A lot of problems occur because of cheaper materials used when producing a banner. The real material costs may make only a $10-20 difference in selling price.
When buying a banner, ask yourself, "I can buy a banner made with materials that might perform 40% as well, for a price difference of $5 to $10. Is that what I should do?" You should make your purchase decision one based on quality, not price.
Even if the competition's banners cost several dollars less, you should have enough natural sense to realize, if the signmaker discounts their time, talent and business commitment, then they will have to cut corners. You should also realize that cutting corners undermines the durability, appearance and effectiveness of the signage.
Banners take more abuse than almost any other kind of signage. They must endure rain and UV, but they must also withstand harsh winds; in fact, banners are like sails without boats! In addition, banners are often hung by the hourly help, most of whom know nothing about proper installation methods.
Banners also receive little or no cleaning. Just like a car, they need washing and waxing. Yet when was the last time you saw someone cleaning her banner? Park your car out on the curb for 6-24 months without maintenance and see how well the paint holds up!
Automotive paints, by the way, are usually superior to most sign paints in durability - yet car manufacturers will not honor a warranty on the paint if the owner has not provided reasonable and consistent washing and polishing. This would be considered abuse and neglect of the paint. Further, vehicle surfaces are generally very smooth (for improved UV resistance) and are not particularly flexible, which means the media used to decorate them does not have to be very flexible either. Banners, on the other hand, are typically textured (which allows more UV-ray absorption) and are often stored roughly or even folded. Therefore, their construction and decoration needs to be with the best materials, not the cheapest.
Remember, if you don't have the time or money to do it right the first time, how can you afford to do it over?
Banner blunders
1. Usually the first mistake banner producers make is in using calendered vinyl rather than flexible cast vinyl film. If you have properly prepped and installed vinyl on a banner, yet the vinyl still separates from the surface, is it because you have tried to cut material cost by using a calendered film? True, in limited circumstances, with certain banner materials, you might be able to get away with this. But why take chances?
2. The second mistake sign-makers make is in failing to correctly prep the banner. All environmental pollution, skin oils and migrating PVC components must be removed from the surface before applying graphics.
3. Sign-makers often do not lay out the banner properly. When applying graphics, the banner should be as flat and smooth as possible. If you do not do this, air pockets can form and/or wrinkling can occur.
4. A fourth mistake involves the improper squeegeeing/burnishing of graphics to the banner.
5. Typically, signmakers do not give clients proper use and care instructions, nor do they instruct clients how to properly hang banners.
To ensure the best possible pricing with the highest quality of materials, we do most of our bids via e-mail. In this manner we can provide a proofs, make any adjustments and then a final bids while maintaining labor costs. Appointments are made for any graphic work and for all all drop offs and pick ups.
info@amarilloaffordablesigns.com